Pacific Beach Boardwalk


The Boardwalk in Pacific Beach is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon. The entire boardwalk stretches for three miles from Law Street at the north end of Pacific beach, all the way down to the jetty in Mission Beach, just across the channel from Ocean Beach. The boardwalk goes officially by the name "Ocean Boulevard" and many locations actually use that as their address.

Along the entire boardwalk you will find restaurants, shopping, and sunny spots. In Pacific Beach you will find, specifically, new swanky places like the bar, hotel, and restaurant at the end of Felspar. You will also find such standbys as Kono's breakfast joint (@ Garnet), where you get greasy eggs, potatoes, and bacon from early morning to midday. This is right across from the Crystal Pier, and the Crystal Pier Hotel, floating above the water.

Then there is the PB Hostel, where there is always a random mix of travelers, young and old, all looking to get very drunk at any given moment. And of course there is the coffee chop and bakery that is always changing names, but which I will always know as the Mission (just south of Grand). This is a great palce to sip a latte or munch a muffin and watch the passer-bys.

Speaking of which, this is probably the best pastime of the PB boardwalk - people watching. Grab a spot along the seawall, lay out a towel by the volleyball nets, or choose a table or chair at a cafe or restaurant right along the sidewalk, and settle in to watch a wide array of partiers, families, and random people. There is the guy who roller blades in slow motion, the roller blader who wears a speedo decorated for the nearest holiday (although he hasn't been around lately), and all the other funny characters. Enjoy the show!